The purpose of this study is to determine the value of superficial radiation therapy to patients with localized infected lesions with acute leukemia and associated neutropenia versus supportive care alone. Patients who have a local infection of the perirectal region, axilla, or any other subcutaneous tissue, are randomized to receive either supportive care alone or supportive care plus 400 rads of localized radiation which was given in a double blind fashion. Thirty patients have been entered into this study to date. Sixteen patients have received local radiation therapy and fifteen lesions have completely regressed by day 11 and one patient had progressive lesions. Fourteen patients did not receive radiation therapy and eleven had complete resolution by day 16, one partial resolution after 3 weeks and three lesions progressed despite local care. One patient in the non-irradiated group has suffered from disseminated infection as a result of the local lesions. There have been 9 recurrences of these local infections among the thirty patients and three of the recurrences have been in sites previously irradiated. It would appear that localized radiation therapy has beneficial effects on the rate of resolution and prevention of recurrences, but it is not apparent that this procedure has been of any particular value in preventing disseminated infection.